Confessions of an Ex-FredHead

There is No Perfect Candidate

The following is a true eye-witness account, although some names have been changed to protect the innocent.

When Fred Thompson began to drop hints to the nation that he was considering a run for the White House, I, like many others across the nation, felt interested and enlivened by his potential candidacy. I listened to his radio broadcasts, I followed his opinion writings on the Internet. I liked his sober, southern gentleman style, and I appreciated his unwavering conservatism. I joined the blog site - DraftFredThompson. I felt receptive to him as a leader because of the roles he had in the movies and television. He seemed to fill a void left by Ronald Reagan.

Fred was offering to revive the concept of Federalism, with the view that States should be more assertive and independent of the Federal Government in their individual laws. I was receptive to the idea that Washington had taken to much authority that should be in local control. It did bother me a little that this doctrine was rationalization for Fred's view that some states may recognize definitions of marriage that went beyond one man and one woman, but I was willing to overlook that policy disagreement, in favor of the prospect of more local control and fewer bureaucrats in Washington.

Steve is long time political consultant in a major Florida city. We share opinions and bounce ideas off each other. He is a professional, while I am just an amateur, a volunteer or contributor. When Fred signaled that he would like to run, and that he was forming an exploratory committee last May, Steve engaged in discussions with Fred's inner circle. Steve arranged for a Fred speech to the local Bar Association, and on other dates, private fund-raisers. Steve did this professionally, not personally endorsing Fred. I judged the intensity of the national support for Fred extraordinary. I sent a memo to Steve which was communicated to the Fred inner circle.